Therapeutic shoe



Jan. 14, 1969 E. J. SABEL THERAPEUTIC SHOE Filed Jan. 26, 1966 FIG. 3

INVENTOR. EUGENE .1 5A ea ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,421,517 THERAPEUTIC SHOE Eugene J. Sahel, Wyunewood, Pa. Eugene J. Sahel and (30., 1267 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19107) Filed Jan. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 523,108 US. Cl. 123-583 6 Claims Int. Cl. A43b 7/24 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A therapeutic shoe for feet having talo-navicular pronation providing normal weight bearing relation at the midtarsal joint and counteracting forefoot adduction. This is accomplished by shaping the heel base to provide forward and upward inclination to the interior of the rear portion of the shoe and shaping the insole forwardly of the heel base with a forwardly and downwardly inclined portion to the midtarsal location and then substantially flat forwardly thereof.

This invention relates to therapeuti shoes and more particularly to shoes for feet having a plantar flexed talus with depression of the arch.

No satisfactory shoes have heretofore been available for feet having the deformity known as talipes, and particularly talo-navicular pronation. In such condition, the depression of the arch involves the talor and talo-navicular joint. In the frontal plane the hindfoot from the head of the talus backwards has moved into pronation while the forefoot remains in contact with the floor. Consequently the forefoot is in relative supination to the hindfoot. In the saggital plane a downward and forward movement of the talus has taken place which dorsiflexes the forefoot against the hindfoot. A plantarflexed talus with depression of the arch is the result.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic shoe with which normal weightbearing relation is established at the midtarsal joint and forefoot adduction is counteracted.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shoe having a simple but effective construction for effecting the foregoing object.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic shoe of the character aforesaid in which the forefoot adduction can be varied as desired.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a therapeuti shoe having a reverse calcaneal heel for carrying out the purposes of the invention.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic shoe which is particularly suited for children but which is not limited to such use.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a shoe in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the shoe shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, taken approximately on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 g and FIG. 5 is a view in perspective of a metallic shank removed from the shoe.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes can be made in the struc- 3,421,517 Patented Jan. 14, 1969 ture disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings a shoe 16 in accordance with the invention, and for the left foot is shown, it being understood that a shoe for the right foot will be similarly constructed, but of opposite hand.

The shoe 10 includes an upper 11 which can be of any desired type, an outsole 12 and a heel base 13 secured to the outsole 12 with a horizontal ground contacting surface and an upper surface 13b. The outsole 12 and upper 11 can be secured together in any desired manner but for purposes of illustration the upper 11 is shown as having a welt 14 secured thereto, the welt 14 being secured to the outsole 12 by a line of stitches 15 in a well known manner. An insole 16 is preferably also provided and preferably has a cookie counter 17 extending upwardly therefrom along its inner margin.

The shoe 10 preferably also has a fabric lining 18 of well known type.

In accordance with the invention the shoe 10, contiguous to the inner margin of the insole 16, and interposed between the lining 18 and the upper 11 a side counter 20 thicker at the base and at the junction with the welt 14 is provided with a forward extension 21 on its outer side approximately as far forward as the second metatarsal of the foot and with a forward extension 22 on its inner side a lesser distance.

The shoe 10 is shaped interiorly and exteriorly so that at the insole 16, the rear terminus 25 of the insole 16 is low with an upward inclination or elevation as at 26 toward the front with a sharp drop or downward inclination toward the front as at 27, this being at the side of the talo-navicular joint, i.e. from the forepoint of the heel to the ball of the foot, and with a substantially level portion 28 to the front margin of the insole 16. This combination of the insole 16 is accomplished in part by the heel base 13 being lower at the rear than at the forward portion thereof. In a particular embodiment, the heel base 13, at the rear, may be of the order of V to inch, in height, while at the forward portion the height may be of the order of /s to /8 inch. The height and shape of the reverse calcaneal heel portion thus provided on the insole 16 at the upward inclination 26 will be varied as desired to suit a particular foot but will be substantial.

The insole 16 beyond the ball and to the toe area has an inflare, depending on the size of the shoe 10, in the range of 3 to 15 (see FIG. 2) an angle of 5 being preferred to provide a slight infiare of the forefoot.

In order to provide the desired rigidity at both the inclined portions 26 and 27 and their junction, an arcuate or arched sheet metal shank 30 as shown in FIG, 5 is provided between the insole 16 and the outsole 12, and from the posterior edge of the heel to proximal of the head of the second metatarsal.

The shank 30 can have holes 31 for positioning and securing brads (not shown) and preferably has a flared forward portion 32.

With this construction as just described normal weight bearing can be established at the midtarsal joint and forefoot abduction is counteracted. The foot will thus be accommodated in an improved manner with adequate retention by the side counter 20 and cookie counter 17.

The shoe in accordance with the invention can be used for correction of cases not requiring surgery or as to which surgery is being postponed or for post operative cases.

I claim:

1. A therapeutic shoe for accommodating talo-navicular pronation and for establishing normal weight bearing relationship at the midtarsal joint comprising an upper,

an insole within said upper from the rear to the front thereof, and

an outsole secured to said upper and having a heel base at the rear thereof,

said heel base being shaped to provide forward and upward inclination to the interior of the rear portion of the shoe,

said insole above said heel base being fiat and extending downwardly to its rear terminus,

said insole, forwardly of said heel base, having a forwardly and downwardly inclined portion to the midtarsal location thereof, and

said insole forwardly of said last portion being substantially fiat.

2. A shoe as defined in claim 1 in which said last mentioned inclined portion and said fiat portion forwardly of said heel base have an infiare at an angle of the order of 3 to 15.

3. A shoe as defined in claim 1 in which said heel base has upper and lower surfaces,

the upper surface from its rear terminus is forwardly and upwardly inclined with respect to the lower surface and is in engagement with the outsole, and

the lower surface is horizontal,

4. A shoe as defined in claim 1 in which a rigid metallic reinforcing shank is provided between the insole and the outsole extending from the rear portion of the insole toward the midtarsal arch location in the shoe and retains the predetermined positions of said forward and upward inclination and said forward and downward inclination with depression of the arch therebetween.

5. A shoe as defined in claim 2 in which said angle is about 5.

6. A shoe as defined in claim 2 in which said heel base has upper and lower surfaces,

the upper surface from its rear terminus is forwardly and upwardly inclined with respect to the lower surface and is in engagement with the outsole,

the lower surface is horizontal, and

a rigid metallic reinforcing shank is provided between the insole and the outsole and extending from the rear portion of the insole forwardly beyond the heel base and toward the midtarsal arch location in the shoe,

said shank being arched between its ends and retaining the respective predetermined positions of said forward and upward inclination and said forward and downward inclination of said insole and in their relation to the heel base and to the forward most portions of the insole.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,417,170 5/1922 Hosmer 128614 X 1,544,625 7/1925 Austin 128614 2,123,481 7/1938 Anderson 1286l4 2,648,144 8/1953 Stein 128583 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

JOHN D. YASKO, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

